Freeing up system resources:
Speed up your startup time by turning off those system-level tasks you don't need. Every application that launches at startup uses up some system resources, pulling power away from your CPU that could focus on more interesting stuff.

First, look at Programs, StartUp menu, and look to see what's in there. A lot of applications like to put shortcuts there when they are installed. This causes the said application to launch at start up. What ever is in the StartUp menu is running in the background and using up your resources. You don't need anything in there. Right click on the shortcut and then select delete.

Another trick, that's a bit more complicated is to run MSCONFIG. This doesn't work on NT or 2000. To run MSCONFIG, follow these steps.

• Go to the Start menu.
• Choose Run.
• Type in msconfig.
• Press OK.
• Now that you are in MSCONFIG, go to the Startup tab. Uncheck any programs that you are familiar with. Otherwise, you may inadvertently turn something off that you need to compute normally.
• When you are finished selecting programs, click OK.

Next time you start your computer, it should launch faster. If you turn off a program that you need, simply restore it.

• Open MSCONFIG and click on the General tab.
• Select the box labeled "Normal Startup - restore all device drivers and software."

Recycle Bin

When you drag an item to the Recycle Bin, a pop-up window appears asking you to confirm the delete. This can be a great feature for those of us who accidentally delete items, but if you don't suffer from mistaken deletes, get rid of it.

Here's how to disable the delete confirmation:

• Open your Desktop.
• Right-click on the Recycle Bin.
• Select Properties.
• Select the Global Tab.
• Uncheck the "Display delete confirmation dialog box." Remember that if you accidentally delete something, you can always go into the Recycle Bin and undelete it there. Simply highlight the deleted item, go up to File, and select Restore.

For more tricks go to http://www.techtv.com

By David Prager
November 8, 2001
You're all set up with your broadband connection. Now what? You can surf the Web, download software, watch video, and listen to audio until your heart's content. But there are actually a few things you should do first before you surf around. Here are some things you should do once your broadband connection is enabled. Do these things first, and you'll enhance your experience.

1. Turn off File Sharing Microsoft leaves this on by default, but you don't need to have it on. Turning it off will protect you from hackers. To turn it off:

• Right click on Network Neighborhood, and select Properties.
• Click on the Configuration tab.
• Click on the File and Print Sharing button.
• Uncheck both checkboxes.

2. Install a firewall A firewall helps protect your computer from unwanted Internet traffic. It runs in the background and is easy to use. I recommend ZoneAlarm. It works well, and it's free.

3. Update your operating system Thanks to your new connection, keeping up with the latest system updates isn't as laborious as it was with a dial-up connection. With broadband, some system updates take a couple of minutes to download and install.

• Microsoft Windows Updates
• Apple Macintosh Updates

Stop pop-up Ads

Eliminating pop-up ads is no easy task. Most pop-up killers stop pop-ups that appear on a list. As you encounter new variations, you need to add them to your list. Free Surfer works differently. This application actually works. I use it at home and always recommend it. You must have Internet Explorer 5.5 or above for it to work.

• Natural Mode: Stops all pop-ups, except those you put on a list without interfering with your ability to open new windows.
  
  
• Strict Mode: You have to hold down the Shift or Ctrl key for any new window to be launched.